Container with folded top seam



Dec. 25, 1951 s. BIRKLAND CONTAINER WITH FOLDED TOP SEAM Filed July 31. 1947 IVENTOR.

ATTE/VEYS' Patented Dec. 25, 1951 UNITED STAT-Es r oFFIcE.. .I y .2,579,4661, Y A

, C-Qtnamawim FLDED TOP Stell'an- Birklandl; San Francisco; Calilg'assgnor to -AmericamCani Company, New-'YorkfNZ Y., a corporationzof New-Jersey' appueatfiqngulylai, 19451,:A saranno, 765,954.

, l; This invention relates'l/vto sheet metal" cansor cgmtainersA and hasparticular reference to a container having a novel andWmaterial-saving end seam construction which permanently secures and hermetically seals a top closure' member to the container and which permits the removal of the closure memberiso ythat it maybe used'as a reclosure; Y

Anfobject of the invention is the provision `of an inexpensivekey opening can'` provided Awith a Vreclosing feature which maybe manufactured at as avi'ng in materials to make itY economically atn tractiveufor products not` now packed Vin such cans.

Another object is the provision is such a container of' a narrow typejo'f tearingr strip formed in the body wall of the can in 'a portion ofv the end seam joint which may.,bejrelriovedV easily to effect a substantially full opening', in the'top of the can, which afterY initially being opened; is reclosable without' areduction inthe head space ofjthe can.

AAnother object thel provision in suchacan ofj'an-fendj seaml joint formedVV by overlapped iiangesofl thecan body andthe canvendymemberandV having the terminal endj'of the Abody Harigey permanentlysecured in a V-,shaped or triangularshaped annularv channel formed in the end mem-ber by a metallic or non-metallic bonding material such/as solden. thermoplastic cement and the like.

Numerous otherobjects and advantages oil the invention will be apparent asii'fis better understood from thewv fol-lm )vving` i description, which, taken in connection withthe accompanying drawing'sL. discloses a preferred embodiment thereof; i'

Referring to the drawing;

Figure lfis a'perspectiveViewol?u a can or Vcon- 'tainerl ernbodying'v the presentY inventionr4 Figure. 2 is an enlarged frag 1 n entar,},fl.v vertical sectionloi" the container top before tearing strip is removed', taken substantiallyalong a plane indicated by the line 22 in Fig. l; and

Fig. 3 is a View similar to Fig. 2 after the can has been opened and showing its cover in position as a reclosure.

As an exemplary embodiment of the present invention the drawing illustrates a sheet metal can or container comprising a tubular body Il provided with a side seam I2 and having abotto1n|3 permanently secured to the body in any suitable manner as by an end seam I4 and a special reclosure top or end member I5 secured to the body in a novel end seam I6.

Thereclosure. top I 5ili's' Aformed with'a substantially i'lati raised central panelA I1 'havingL a surrounding obliquelyv disposed' wall section; I8 'merging into an annular d-ep'endinginner wall I 9. The wall I9` adjacent its' lower end; is` bentor folded baci; against itself' to form a hemmed edge IijIy which curvesjupwardlyfand merges( into, an upright outer coverfilange 22: Annupper portion of the flange ZZ'and tlfieiobliquelyu disposedv wall section I8v deii'ne a trianjgularlyu or V-shaped annular channell vor grooye;2Ittherebetween;,r

When the reclosurertop I5'L s in sealing position onthe can, it lits snugly' 4iflie top"` of vthe can, justfrbelow the upperlterminaljedge ofthe can, with itsjhemmed edge 2ll lseated on an inwardly extending supporting bead 24-formed in thel can body il, *andA with V,itjsfoutefrjfla-nge 22*` in engagement" with anpouter walljofthe -body II-.f The body wall 25extencls,upf along'the outerY flange 22A of the reclosure -top' I5jjinV parallelism Ytherewith an'd" at its upper endflares: outwardly and thence curves inwardly over the topr terminal edge of vthe reclosure outer flange 22 andjmer'ges intoa depending' innerjange 526'.

`The inner ajngel :ofy thejnbodyr/Il extends down into thecharn'ielx Zl'and is secured tothe flangezjand thev vobliquely bent` walll section I8 oi the "reclosuremember I"5`.by a suitable bonding material, 21. which isfdeposited into` the channel 23 in any suitable manner. Such' a .bonding material maybehmetallic such as solder or Vnonmetallic such as plastic c'em'entor the like; This overlapping and Vi'nterfoldinjg` of the outer wall 25iand the inner ange 26"of( the. bodyjII with the'nnercover wallr I9 andthe outer cover flange 22 Lof the reclosure top vresults in the novel end seam IE5v hereinbefore mentioned *andv provides a permanena hermetic and economical seam whieheiiciently seals a container.

Provision is made for readily, openingthe containerby removal of the top'l I5 in a manner which permits ofltl'ieuse. of the removed' top as areclosure member. For this, purpose the body outer wall 25`i`s` provided'with a narrow removable tearing strip 28. This tearing strip is defined by a pair of spaced and parallel score lines or weakened areas 29 which are formed in the outer wall 25 of the body and which encircle the body and terminate in the body side seam I2. One end of the tearing strip is formed with a tongue 3I which extends beyond the side seam and is engageable by a key 32 or other suitable tool, for removing the tearing strip in the usual manner.

When the tearing strip 28 is removed from the body outer Wall 25 (Fig. 3), the upper portion of this wall 25 together with the body inner flange 26 and the reclosure top I5 still permanently secured thereto, may be readily lifted out of the upper end of the body II leaving a full open mouth in the body for easy removal of the contents of the can.

To facilitate removal and replacement of the reclosure top I5, the upper portions of the outer wall 25 and inner flange 26 of the body are flared outwardly along a gradual curved line of bendV which provides a convenient hand grip and which also reenforces the top end seam. A bead 35 (Figs. 2 and 3) is formed in the inner flange 25 of the body adjacent the upper edge of the outer flange 22 of the reclosure top I5 for locking the reclosure top in position against the bead 24 in the .body II. In reclosing the container closure member I is replaced into its former position on the body bead 24 (Fig- 3) without reducing the head space of the container.

It is evident upon perusal of the drawing that the present container is produced without requiring an extra part such as a collar or additional wall folds in making a permanent end seam. In fact, the seam is formed with one less fold or flange on the outer periphery of the top end member I5. This effects a substantial saving in the amount of metal required for producing such an end and thus reduces the cost of tearing strip containers so that they may be used for a greater variety of products.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacriicing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

1. A hermetically sealed sheet metal reclosure container comprising a tubular body having a wall terminating at its outer end in a depending flange spaced inwardly from the body wall, said b-ody having an inwardly extending peripheral bead disposed beneath said flange, an end member seated on said body bead on the interior of the container and secured to said body wall in an end seam, said end member having araised central panel merging into an annular outwardly and downwardly inclined wall portion in turn merging into an annular depending inner wall terminating in an integral upstanding outer `contacting flange disposed between and snugly engaging against the inner surface of said body wall and the outer surface of said depending body wall flange, the space between said downwardly inclined wall portion and said upstanding fiange of said end member defining an annular groove for receiving the inner end of said depending body wall flange, a sealing material disposed in said groove for embedding therein said depend- 4 ing ange end of said body wall to provide a. hermetic seal between said body and end member, and a tearing strip set off by spaced score lines in said body wall adjacent said upstanding end member ilange, removal of said strip effecting severance of said end member from the body to open the container, said endmember being thereafter again supported by `said inner peripheral body bead as a reclosure cover without reducing the head space of the container.

2. A hermetically sealed sheet metal reclosure container comprising a tubular body having an outwardly flared wall at an end thereof to provide a hand grip, said wall terminating in a depending flange spaced inwardly from the body wall, said body having an inwardly extending peripheral bead disposed beneath said flange, an end closure member seated on said body bead on the interior of the container and secured to said body wall in an end seam, said end member having a raised central panel merging into an annular outwardly and downwardly inclined wall portion in turn merging into an annular depending inner wall terminating in an integral upstanding outer contacting flange disposed between and snugly engaging against the inner surface of said body wall and the outer surface of said depending body' wall flange, the space between saiddownwardly inclined wall portion and said upstanding flange of said end member defining an annular groove for receiving the inner end of said depending body wall iiange, a sealing material disposed in said groove for embedding therein said depending ange end of said body wall to provide a hermetic seal between said body and end closure member, said depending body Wall flange having an annular bead therein adjacent the terminal end of said upstanding outer end member ilange for locking said end mem,- ber in seated position on said inwardly extending body` bead, and a tearing strip set off by spaced score lines in said body wall adjacent said upstanding end member ange, removal of said strip effecting severance of said end member from the body toopen the container, ksaid end member being thereafter again supported by said inner peripheral body bead as a reclosure cover without reducing the head space of the container.

- STELLAN BIRKLAND.

vnErnnnN'ons CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Peck May 16, 194,4 

